DISINFO: By signing the UN Global Compact for Migration, Georgia will be forced to let in migrants from Syria and Africa
SUMMARY
Georgia signed the UN Global Compact for Migration, contrary to many other countries who want to protect their borders from migrants. The UN Global Compact foresees that migrants’ rights are fundamental. For that reason, any criticism of migrants will cause being named a racist or a xenophobe. Signing the agreement means also that foreign countries can tell Georgia to let in migrants from Syria and Africa.
RESPONSE
The Global Compact is non-legally binding - and this fact is clearly stated in the document itself (paragraph 7: This Global Compact presents a non-legally binding, cooperative framework that builds on the commitments agreed upon by Member States in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. It fosters international cooperation among all relevant actors on migration, acknowledging that no State can address migration alone, and upholds the sovereignty of States and their obligations under international law). This information can also be found in the document's description on the UN website. Since the UN Global Compact for Migration is non-legally binding, it cannot force Georgia or any other country to let in any migrants. Other states cannot force each other to do so, either. Moreover, it is not the pact's purpose. The aim of the UN Global Compact is to better manage migration at local, national, regional and global levels, in a cooperative manner. The document does, however, recognise the problem of hate speech and hate crimes aimed at migrants. Therefore, UN countries can come up with national legislation that addresses this issue, by penalising crimes (but NOT criticism) against migrants, as well as to empower migrants and communities to denounce any acts of incitement to violence directed towards migrants. There are several other measures which might be taken by UN member states in this respect - but they do not include penalising every form of criticism towards migration. Further debunking by Myth Detector.